Editorial: Look for Pikachu, but use common sense, too

Call it what you will - a fad, a phenomenon, a bona fide star on the stock market for its owner - "Pokemon Go" is a hit in an unbelievably short amount of time. And as this summer has been particularly bad in terms of national and international news, it really couldn't have debuted at a more opportune time.

"I welcome the ability to take my mind off police shootings, the gay nightclub massacre in Florida, horrific attacks on civilians in France, a coup attempt in Turkey, a mosquito-borne Zika virus causing brain damage in the womb and a fraught, divisive U.S. election season," said Associated Press technology writer Barbara Ortutay in a first-person article on Monday.

Indeed, isn't it refreshing that a simple app can help get people outside and enjoying life a little more while looking for phantom video game characters?

Now, there are some caveats to the frivolity of this simple but addictive game. To play, you must be looking at your phone. In an era of distracted driving, that is not the best way to get people to stop that dangerous habit while piloting a vehicle.

And this is true of kids on bikes as well. One Daily Herald employee said he saw a 9-year-old boy riding his bike with the rest of his family while staring at his cellphone. To emphasize the lack of common sense - he was with his parents while doing this.

And playing can cause you to be unaware of potential danger. For example, two Lake County teenagers were robbed near Lake Villa while walking at night and playing the game.

"Even though you're playing the game, you truly have to be aware of your surroundings and know what's going on around you, and know that you're only going on property that you're allowed to be on (and) you're not entering any buildings that you don't have express permission to be in," said Lake County Detective Christopher Covelli, offering sound advice for players. After all, finding Pikachu is no excuse for trespassing.

All that said and with the proper amount of caution and common sense, "Pokemon Go" appears to be a fad worth trying. The Palatine Public Library is enjoying seeing adults come in while playing and working on ways to encourage more walk-in traffic. In Highland Park, a meetup group has formed to bring game enthusiasts to the downtown area.

"We essentially are doing this to have some fun but we also are urging the business owners ... to embrace this Pokemon phenomenon," said Ariana Pup of the Downtown Highland Park Alliance.

Smart to jump on the bandwagon now as there is no telling how long it will last.